In the bottom of the table clash, Milford Marlins took on the Buffaloes at their Kirkstall base, in a game where the flow of play was disturbed by a 50-minute delay for an injury and three sending’s off.
The game started poorly for the Buffaloes, in the 2nd minute, Milford loose forward, Dave Watmough, charged through the week Buffaloes defence to open the scoring, Ben Best Converted giving the Marlins a 6-0 lead.
Three minutes later the Buffaloes were on the score sheet when Terry Brown tore through the defence and scored and unconverted try, reducing the lead to two points, 6- 4.
Shortly after that Alex Briers was chasing a deft kick from hooker Stuart Young, but was unable to gather the ball in.
Both sides were flying into each other with some ferocious defence stopping each other from gaining an advantage. Until the 25th minute when Buffaloes loose forward passed on the inside to Brown who was over for his second try of the afternoon, as the defence melted away in front of him. Forster converted giving the buffaloes the lead 6-10.
In the 28th minute the Buffaloes were over again when Substitute Andy Bottomley scored after backing up a break from Garry Butterfield. The try was converted by Forster, making the score 6-16.
Neither team managed to score again up to the half time break with the defences being on top.
Two minutes after the break Liam Copland drove the ball in strongly and was lifted and driven to the floor in nasty spear tackle, Liam remained on the floor as a precaution whilst the paramedics were called. Luckily Liam walked to the ambulance and was given the ok from the paramedics and return to the sidelines to the applause of both sets of fans. Milford Prop, Kyle Chadwick was sent off for his part in the tackle.
After a 50 minute delay play restarted and the Buffaloes seemed to be affected by the delay and weren’t in the game from the restart. In what was the 44th minute of play, Fullback Brown hauled down a Milford attacking player and hung on too long and the referee issued brown with a Yellow Card, this was swiftly changed to a red card after Brown voiced his thoughts on the competence of the referee.
In the 47th minute, Milford Substitute Ash Willaford broke through the Buffaloes defence, for a Try converted by Best, making the score 12-16.
3 minutes later Milford were in again when Ryan Oxtoby strode through the pedestrian defence, with the try again converted by Best, giving them the lead 18-16.
In the 67th minute Milford were in again when prop Chris Roda dove for the line through the despairing Buffaloes defence, again the try was converted by Best.
Though out the second half the buffaloes were their own worst enemies gifting possession and positional advantage to Milford with a string of penalties, some justified, others not so, with the referee been hoodwinked on several occasions, one such occasion in the 72nd minute, Substitute Tim McRae, made a fine covering tackle to bring down the Milford attacker, the referee saw McRae holding the player down too long and gave a penalty, the rest of the ground and players, saw the Milford player holding the defender down. McRae protested his innocence too long and loudly and the referee sent him off for Foul and Abusive language.
From the penalty, Milford were in again for a try, again converted by Best, making the score 30-16.
After the goal had been kicked the referee blow for time.
A disappointing end to what had started out as been a good afternoon, with the Buffaloes sweating on the referees report for the two sendings off and waiting to see how winger Copland recuperates after his injury.
Milford: 1) Nathan Hargreves, 2) Steve Waterhouse, 3) Dan Whitelaw, 4) Tom Barnes, 5) Jason Hall, 6) Ryan Oxtoby, 7) Martin Loveridge, 8) Chris Roda, 9) Ben Best, 10) Kyle Chadwick, 11) Joe Ramsden, 12) Colin Massey, 13) Dave Watmough, Subs; 14) Steve Bacon, 15) James Barry, 16) Mick Watts, 17) Ash Willaford
Tries: Watmough (2), Willaford (47), Oxtoby (50), Roda (67)
Goals: Best 5 from 5
Buffaloes: 1) Terry Brown, 2) Garry Butterfield, 3) Nathan Hammond, 4) Alex Brier, 5) Liam Copland, 6) Omar Al Rawi, 7) Stevie Suddards, 8) Dave Parker, 14) Stuart Young, 10) Sam Nicholls, 11) Will Howarth, 12) Aaron Blake, 13) Darrell Forster, Subs; 9) Andy Bottomley, 15) Jack Young, 16) Ryan Jackson, 17) Tim McRae
Tries: Brown (5,25), Bottomley (28)
Goals: Forster (2 from 3)